When I saw this quote I leaned back and thought about how true it was with regard to business — business owners & leaders & founders … and their customers. Of course I then thought about people in general <because people are customers>.

But let me begin with business. And hope. And bending.

It is sometimes difficult to believe how many ways hope can come to life in business. I find it difficult because, in my mind, it would seem like hope is just … well … hope. And … well … hope is a good thing <one would think>.

But I have seen entrepreneurs blinded by Hope <losing sight of reason>.

I have seen Hope suffocate pragmatism.

I have seen Hope en-trance to such an extent that rational business people say, and do, irrational things.

And then on the other side I have seen some of the best and brightest big business people let cynicism and skepticism make them lose sight of hope.

I have seen some businesses get so mired in day to day detail … and some of the mind numbing thousand cuts that detail can ruthlessly wield to a business … that they cannot even see hope <even if it rises on their horizon like a sun on a cloudless morning>.

Life makes hope in business difficult <at times>.

Because in business Life doesn’t really bend you as much as it bludgeons you. And as you get bludgeoned you have one of two choices:

lean in to Hope and go <progress>, or

lean back against Hope and say ‘go ahead … but I will move no further back <support & reinvigorate>’

I have always said that we in management and those with an opportunity to lead are first and foremost NOT in the profit & revenue business … we are in the Hope business.

To be clear. This doesn’t mean Hope at the expense of everything else. It is more like a guiding light.

A beacon.

A lighthouse.

A star.

Which leads me to a business’s customers. What customers really want isn’t some functional rational widget.

Sure. They want shit that works, but, they kind of expect to receive shit that works. The truth is they really want to bend themselves <and their wallets> toward hope. That may sound esoteric and soe people will want to attach specific ’emotional benefits’ and they may be right. Or. It may just be as simple as Hope <be better, something better, do better>.

Now. As I type that, I will admit, I have seen some businesses that do such a fantastic job internally, culturally, with regard to building Hope into their own vision and their organization. Uhm. And then they treat their customers as ‘low price commodity shopper aficionados.’

How can that be? Why do they think that way? Hope will always be better, and more valuable, than any rational commodity-like widget benefit you are offering.

By the way this is not some hypothetical philosophical bullshit. People say they want lowest price but time and time again they show they are willing to pay more. We, in business, may suggest it is ‘brand’ or ‘emotional’ or even some irrational behavior that we cannot explain, but, in the end people are paying for Hope.

Hope for something a little better that will make them feel a little better.

Which ultimately leads me to people.

I actually think I don’t have to write or say much more.

You get it. Life tries to break us where it counts — in our hearts. And most times Life doesn’t really succeed. Despite its best efforts, at its worst, it typically just bends us.

And even at its worst what Life really does is to bend us toward hope.

Maybe it even pushes us to Hope. In fact. Maybe that’s the reason why Life does try and break us on occasion. To remind us of the power of hope.

Regardless. Life forces us to look at Hope … hold it … maybe hug it, but, at minimum … look at it in the eye and say “who are you?” Hope will almost always respond <as it bends close to you> … “I am something better.”

“The moment you decide an event is impossible and therefore stop directing your attention to it is the moment when it will take place.”

–

General Petro Grigorenko

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Well. This is about a couple things.

First is ‘the inevitability of the impossible.’ <that may be the quote of the day>

Second is convictions. General Grigorenko is also the one who said “Convictions are not like gloves.”

Ok.

The inevitability of the impossible.

I have noted that military leaders have a habit of saying very smart things in very simple ways. Especially when it comes to how often the unbelievable becomes the believable, the impossible becomes possible and how well thought out planning becomes a ‘non-plan.’ And, please note, this isnt about dreams or hopes or some intangible future planning … this is about real tangible Life. Stuff that actually happens.

Regardless. His quote is a version of the Black Swan theory. Just a reminder. The Black Swan theory basically suggests that our past experience doesn’t mean shit with regard to the future. For example we believed only white swans were possible <and we then therefore planned a future based on such> and stopped paying attention to swans and, DOH!, lo and behold someone discovered a black swan.

Go figure. The impossible became possible. The unbelievable became believable.

Look. I imagine it is helpful for us to remind ourselves on occasion that just when we are absolutely positively 100% sure that something is impossible … it occurs.

Not always. But just often enough that we shouldn’t be too surprised that the moment we stop directing our attention to it, it happens.

This is a simple thought and one I just like to remind people about. You cannot plan for everything just as you cannot be sure of anything. But that, my friends, is what we call Life.

Anyway. That may sound fairly unsettling because that means … well … you cannot be sure of anything.

Well.

Because I am who I am … I would like to take a minute of your time and tell you who Grigorenko was and why I wanted to use his quote and make a point on the inevitability of unexpected things happening <and something we CAN be sure of>. This leads me to the second thought … convictions.

Convictions.

A native of Ukraine, Grigorenko had been arrested and sent to a mental hospital in 1964 for criticizing the Soviet government for deviating from the Leninist principles and for his unyielding stand against the party bureaucracy and oppressive policies. Grigorenko told a group of Crimean Tatars in a speech that they need to take a more aggressive stand, it is their legal right to demand to repatriate, and the crimes committed by the Soviet government against their people amount to ‘genocide’ under international laws <note: that did not go over particularly well with the Soviet leadership>. In 1969, he was arrested the second time in Tashkent, where he was to attend the trials of Crimean Tatar activists, and spent another five years in psychiatric confinement.

But here is the important part:

In the mental hospital Chernyakhovsk Grigorenko underwent another diagnostic examination on January 17th 1971:

“Convictions are not like gloves; one cannot easily change them.” … the general answered.

“The treatment will continue” … the doctor announced.

Well. “Convictions are not like gloves.”

There is a keeper of a thought. I wish more of us in the business world would keep this in mind.

Aw, hell, I wish all of us would keep this in mind.

In a world where the impossible becomes possible almost on a daily basis. In a world where it seems as soon as you relax and believe that something will not happen … and it happens. It is nice to be able to hold on to something. Something that cannot be changed like a pair of gloves.

Convictions. Nice things to wear day in and day out. They stay clean forever so you don’t need to take the off an wash them.

I am done. That was my thought for the day.

But. To close. I thought I would share Grigorenko’s speech that got him in trouble.

================

Speech of Petro Grigorenko to Crimean Tatars, 1968:

Why have your people been so discriminated against? Section 123 of the Soviet Constitution reads: ’Any direct or indirect limitation on rights… of citizens because of their racial or national membership… is punishable by law.’

Thus the law is on your side. [Stormy applause]

But still your rights are being flouted. Why?

We believe that the main reason behind this is the fact that you underestimate your enemy. You think that you are dealing with honest people. But this is not so! What has been done to your people was not done by Stalin alone. And his accomplices are not only alive—but they occupy responsible positions. You are appealing to the leadership of the party and the state with conciliatory written requests. But that which belongs to you by right should not be asked for but demanded. [Stormy applause and cries of agreement]

So begin to demand. And demand not just parts, pieces, but all that was taken from you unlawfully—demand the reestablishment of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic! [Stormy applause and cries of “Hail the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic”]

Don’t limit your actions to the writing of petitions. Fortify them with all of those means which the Constitution provides you—the freedom of speech and of the press, of meetings, assemblies, of street marches and demonstrations.

A newspaper is published for you in Moscow. But the people behind that newspaper do not support your movement. Take the newspaper away from them. Elect your own editorial board. And if people hinder you in doing this, boycott that newspaper and create another one—your own! A movement cannot develop normally without its own press.

And in your struggle do not shut yourselves in a narrow nationalist shell. Establish contacts with all the progressive people of other nationalities of the Soviet Union. Do not consider your cause to be solely an internal Soviet matter. Appeal for help to the world progressive public and to international organizations. What was done to you in 1944 has a name. It was genocide.

Well. Today is the anniversary of Tupac’s death. I will let you read the poem before I say some things:

=============

“I exist in the depths of solitude

pondering my true goal.

Trying 2 find peace of mind

and still preserve my soul.

CONSTANTLY yearning 2 be accepted

and from all receive respect.

Never compromising but sometimes risky

and that is my only regret.

A young heart with an old soul

how can there be peace.

How can I be in the depths of solitude

when there R 2 inside of me.

This Duo within me causes

the perfect opportunity

2 learn and live twice as fast

as those who accept simplicity.”

–

poem by Tupac Shakur

======================

Ok. Every once in awhile you read something written by a famous, controversial, individual and you get reminded that most of us are alike in how we think about some of the really important shit – Life and how we attempt to navigate it.

Tupac’s poem was one of those things for me.

First of all, stylistically, not a single line or word is wasted. Each line, each word, is thoughtful and thought provoking.

Second it’s Tupac. Why does that matter? Tupac wasn’t just controversial — he was a lightning rod for issues. Some controversy created by his own fault and some created by a less-than-understanding, and unforgiving, public. Sometimes that controversy made many of us <me included> tune him out on occasion. I imagine I was not in a minority as a group of people who just began thinking there was nothing truly meaningful to hear from this individual. 2 quick thoughts about that:

I was wrong.

What a shame (I missed out on a lot).

Regardless. I am catching up on lost Tupac time. Let me say the man could put words together in ways many people can only dream of. He was a contradiction <as many of us are> and he had the ability to capture that contradiction in what he said and sang and did.

All that said, let me get back to the poem.

In the depths of solitude. Within each of our own ‘depths of solitude’ I imagine we all wrestle with some of the same things Tupac did in addition to some of our own stuff. I imagine if we invested the energy to think about it enough we would see that we wrestle so much because of , well, the natural contradictions which reside in almost everyone of us.

Peace of mind and preserve my soul.

Never compromise but sometimes risky.

Young heart and old soul <how can there be peace?>

And what an amazing thought he finishes with … for all of us to ponder.

“Learn faster than those who accept simplicity.

Awesome. So rather than have the contradictions split him or slow him down Tupac accepts the contradictions as permission to see the hope, in his own soul searching <depths of solitude>, to think he can live life, and learn, twice as fast. All the while still recognizing that life is not really that simple … yet some accept the simplest path possible.

In my eyes accepting simplicity does not equate to really living life to its fullest … but that’s me. And I certainly don’t have the level of joie de vivre that Tupac had. A joie de vivre which was actually almost a rebellion against simplicity or at least over simplification.

I envision there is some place in between all of these contradictions which represents a relatively happy medium.

All my own words & thoughts aside. This is a thoughtful smart insightful poem from a man who should have lived longer to share what he had to share.

I will say because he didn’t live longer we should pay attention to what he did share while he was alive.

“The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of it’s scent nor the daisy of its simple charm.

If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness.”

―

Thérèse de Lisieux

================

Ok.

I cannot think of one person I know who doesn’t think their day is full, their life is seemingly constantly stretched or feels like they do not have enough time to either <1> do what they want to do, or <2> do what they need to do.

I cannot think of one person I know who doesn’t think, at least on occasion, about whether that “full” really equals ‘full’ or if it actually doesn’t feel a little less than full and maybe even a little empty.

This empty or full discussion is one I tend to believe we have over and over and over again in our own minds. And, yes, 99% of the time it is in our own heads. Why? Well. Because discussing it with someone else is fraught with peril.

Most of us have clearly faced up to the fact that no one will have any compassion for your full life nor your emptiness. This is slightly weird because we all talk about being empathetic <I mean who the hell wants to say they have no compassion or empathy?> and, yet, most everyone is fairly sure their own ‘full/empty’ version is ‘fuller & emptier’ than anyone who would be bitching about theirs. That said, this empty/full discussion is all ours — alone.

Why? The harsh truth is that, in general, compassion and empathy on this topic is fairy difficult in practice.

Especially when it comes into conflict with people’s feelings about hard work, work in general <because ‘hard work’ is in the eyes of the beholder>, doing <what constitutes real ‘doing’ varies by person>, earning things and what someone does or doesn’t deserve. That is a long list of shit to have people in potential conflict over.

This actually means, whether we like it or not, this discussion is actually one about character & self.

Ok.

Maybe this is more a discussion of “the individual” and deciding who and what you want to be as a person <beyond simply ‘doing’>.

Ok.

Maybe it is more a discussion of “if every flower wanted to be a rose spring would lose its loveliness.”

Ok.

This discussion is difficult <I imagine if it was not then we would never feel full and yet empty at the same time>. Measuring the individual against “the whole” is almost like breathing. We do it without even thinking. This doesn’t mean we ignore all the ‘individual’ stuff like personal skills of perseverance, curiosity, optimism and self-control, but more likely than not somewhere along the way we make a not-entirely-conscious decision to prioritize areas of life, both in personal and business, in relation to other people. This decision, many times, is less about us but rather driven by:

<a> the daily shit which fills up our days and

<b> what society norms suggests ‘full’ looks like.

As we do this we recognize <albeit painfully> that there is no ‘secret to success and work/life balance. The truth is that everyone just prioritizes how they see fit. Unfortunately, that is when we almost inevitably circle back to society <what a rose looks like> rather than simply just assess and do on our own.

Look.

Full but empty is a personal battle. I will not call this living in the inevitable rat race because I tend to lean toward the thought that everyone has an individual power to make a decision for the individual <and selectively ignoring societal norms and ‘cues’ just is not that difficult>. And, yet, I recognize that we are constantly ‘trained’ to push for the sake of pushing <under the guise of attaining higher and higher outcomes>. The problem with this ‘training’ is that it encourages us to “fill our lives” with what constitutes a fairly narrow view of success <which also quickly ‘fills’ your Life>.

I personally don’t think most people need to be trained to push themselves. I think most of us are hard-wired this way. In fact … I could argue that pushing yourself is not the problem. I could argue the ‘empty’ is mostly driven by a sense of failure which starts lightly coating <and ultimately suffocating> everything you do … regardless of how objectively successful you are.

=

“Somebody once said we never know what is enough until we know what’s more than enough.”

Billie Holiday

=

Society demands a lot of things of us. It sets up some fairly absurd rules and a shitload of damn stupid measurements. Society is society and I am not smart enough to be able to offer to everyone how to not be full but empty. But I can suggest a couple of things that could help.

Be consistent.

My gut tells me that at the core of being full but empty is that we chase shit. And by ‘chase shit’ I mean that with the intent to ‘fill up’ we start ‘checking off.’ That’s not really purpose driven nor living a life with a purpose … because it is simply chasing a moving list of things. Maybe I could just suggest avoiding being ‘two/three/four/five faced’ as you attack filling up your Life and just focus on one good face. And maybe try and keep that face facing forward as often as you can.

Freedom not control.

This is hard. Really hard. We want to control everything in our lives … including people and their actions. But in trying to control we actually tend to limit the freedom we should give Life to expand to its best … for us and those around us. Healthy productive people don’t like to be constrained by someone else. Why shouldn’t this pertain to ourselves and how we try and fill, or empty, our lives? <answer: it should pertain … and it is not different>.

So. Just to finish up for today. For some reason our ‘hallowed ground’ of happiness more often than not ends up in a dead end pursuit. And then we are stopped … and look at ‘full but empty’ footsteps behind us. Unfortunately, whether we like it or not, life takes some real thinking with an open mind to not end up at some dead end.

But maybe more importantly it takes the right attitude … if every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness

What I mean by that is because society and culture has encouraged us to think of ‘full’ as doing and tasks and outcomes that means we all are, in some form or fashion, seeking to be a rose. And truth be told we are a field of violets, sunflowers, lilies, astirs, and more – as well as roses – and that is what makes Life look lovely.

And that, to me, is the key to this whole solving ‘full but empty’ thing. Ignore the roses, find out what flower you are and bloom.

“How wild is it that every version of you probably exists still, somewhere, in someone’s memory?

The messy you, crying on the floor exists still in your mind. The happy, sun-soaked you, exists in your best friend’s memory. No part of you has died, all parts of us exist always, simultaneously and hidden.”

In that post I said … Maybe I could just suggest avoiding being ‘two/three/four/five faced’ as you attack filling up your Life and just focus on one good face. And maybe try and keep that face facing forward as often as you can.

Well. The truth is that your one face will come to life in different versions in other’s eyes. You can do everything consistently. You can do your best. Shit. You can actually be your best day in and day out. Yet, every version of who and what you are will exist, in all its different forms, somewhere in someone’s memory.

Someone will pick up a picture of you and remember you in a way that you may like; you may dislike, but is actually some version of you.

Well. How the hell does this happen if you are consistent?

Couple of things to think about.

Most importantly — interesting people are multi faceted. So even if you have ‘one face’ and one direction and one purposeful driven life and one clear soul … it can come to Life in different ways based on the context in which it is asked to interact with Life. Life pulls out the best and worst of you. And rarely does it do so in solitude … you can pretty much expect a shitload of other people around to see what you do and how you respond.

For some of those people that will be their only memory of you.

For some of those people that will be their most impactful memory of you.

Does that mean it is you? Yes and no. Yes in that it reflects a fragment of who and what you are. No in that it most likely is not a particularly good judge of your overall you. People should never be judged at their worst, or their best, and yet we’ll do just that day in and day out. Suffice it to say there are a shitload of versions of you wandering around out there in people’s memories.

Next.

We change. Yeah. we stay the same at our core but as we interact with people, thoughts and things we morph … hopefully for the better … but change it is. That I was yesterday, this I am today, and there I will be tomorrow. You are really the only one who experiences that time transition … everyone else is simply checking in and out.

What does that mean?

Part of the challenge about the whole ‘full but empty’ thing for us is that it isn’t always just about us. You can feel happy about the way you are but people can see a variety of things which do not even closely resemble how you are feeling. And most of us are self-aware enough, and observantly aware enough, to recognize any disconnects in real time. So while being full and not empty is really about maximizing your potential in an overall sense … you also are stuck doing some real time ‘maximizing potential obstacle management.’

When you do this, well, it slows you down from full stuff and only encourages more empty stuff.

In the end.

We all know you have to actively participate in Life because if you do not, well, Life will inevitably pick you to be on the worst dodgeball team, put you in the worst seat in a stadium and in the worst weather when you do not have the right clothes.

Stay true to thineself.

It doesn’t guarantee you shit in Life other than the version of you that you carry with you will look good to you. Not everyone else will like it, and some will love it, but you may as well have one you like.

In other words. You may as well be an architect of your own fate and manage your own version because everyone else will carry around a ‘version of you’ you cannot really control.

“Shut the fuck up … don’t ever compliment me by insulting other women. That’s not a compliment; it’s a competition none of us agreed to.”

—

(via aussie-with-glasses)

==============

Ok. This isn’t about society & women & standards <although I have written many times on that topic> this is about competitions we don’t agree to in Life, in a society that creates them and a sense of “self” in which we are constantly trying to find meaning in the competition of ‘doing’. Many of us can go through life doing the best we can trying to get along and, in general, view most things in life as a journey and not some race and … well … sometimes people, things and society have a different view.

What this means is you are demanded to compete in some competition you really never agreed to.

Let me explain. There are absolutely a bunch of people out there who define themselves by competition. They seek to find validation & actualization through some comparison versus what others are doing <this, basically, is competition>. And then there are people like me <I do not know how many there are of us but I imagine it is a fairly significant %>. While I like winning and, on occasion, a good competition gets the heart rate up and ‘ups my game’ the majority of the time I don’t view Life when I wake up and go to work as a competition with anyone and anything but myself. I simply want to do good things <epic shit if possible> do the best I can and better than I did yesterday. I guess my competition is yesterday not other people. That said. I am not naïve. I know that everyday I wake up and go to work I am entering into ‘the Thunderdome’ and entering into some competition that I didn’t really agree to.

=========

“Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.”

Steve Maraboli

============

I don’t like it. But I recognize it. As often as I can, I avoid the competitions I don’t agree to.

By the way … if you google “how to deal with competitions you do not agree to” you will get zilch, zero, no results on that topic.

None.

Ponder that for a second.

All that said.

This does mean that you receive compliments as well as criticisms based on competitions you didn’t agree to.

And that is aggravating. It is like you are being judged by the Race Walking Olympic judges, with scores you don’t really care about, because you were just out jogging that day. Day in and day out people who really do not want to compete, other than with their own standards, are faced with having to accommodate competition they didn’t agree to.

What a fucking pain in the ass. I would also point out it sounds incredibly inefficient and time wasting.

Look. I am not suggesting some competition isn’t bad. I am suggesting that we go fucking overboard with regard to ‘forcing competition’ into all threads of Life & society & culture. I do believe it is healthy for young people to understand that in competition some people win and some people lose and that some people get trophies and not everyone gets one <although getting a trophy is not all there is to success & Life>.

I do believe it is healthy in youth to understand that some people are smarter than others, that some have skills you don’t have and that some people more easily learn some things than you do.

I do believe it is healthy for young people to learn how to compete and that competition can be healthy.

But at some point I think it would be good for society & culture to either turn that switch off or maybe learn how to turn on the dimmer switch because I think part of being an adult is knowing what you are good at and what you may not be good at and deciding for yourself <some would call that personal responsibility> how you want to achieve the best version of yourself.

I am not convinced that society, and business, creating some false versions of competition which almost encourages me to compete in some competition I really didn’t agree to, let alone really want to compete, is a good thing.

I tend to believe people like me think our competition is harsher and more challenging than any competition society can create for me and because of that I tend to want to dismiss outside competitions.

Yeah.

That choice is fraught with peril. Suffice it to say … just knowing that there is peril in not wanting to compete in some competition I didn’t even agree to is aggravating. But that is the world we currently live in. We are asked to compete against other flowers when all most of us want to do is bloom.

“Don’t lose touch of reality, it might drive you insane if you’re locked in your own world of possibilities for too long.”

—

Unknown

====

Ok.

This is part business and part social media culture thinking and part how the world is coalscing into smaller worlds, with world views, and some thoughts about those worlds.

The world as it exists within social media is different than the real world. What I mean by that is while we blather about some massively interconnected world it is far more likely you are part of a 10 million twitter following and that is more often than not is your world. Or. If you are part of a 5 million blog feed following that is more often than not your world.

This may sound counter to what everyone suggests about the role of media in influencing people. The truth is that the concept of ‘mainstream media’ <which, in my eyes, is being so poorly discussed and labeled similar to how political correctness has become the go-to phrase of the day> has difficulty penetrating an established social world. Tidbits get filtered in and then bounce around this parallel universe in which the facts create new constellations that the real world cannot see, do not see, when they look up at the sky. Inevitably all these tidbits feed on itself and only grow stronger and stronger the longer they exist within the world ultimately helping to share real tenets, beliefs, rites and established norms

The trouble is that, in this social world, thoughts and untruths and truths echo as equal opportunity informers. This begets a real world truth … and a parallel world truth. Sometimes they can be the same, sometimes just similar … and sometimes a parallel truth which, well, as parallel suggests … travels a lane that never intersects with the real world truth.

Some of us older folk and maybe some real world truth tellers gnash our teeth and pound the tables and imagine if we yell loud enough, or calmly tell the truth in maybe a different way <the ‘go-to’ thought by older folk is ‘be visual … it is a short attention span world’>, that somehow we can communicate the business truth or the Life truth or real world truth or whatever real truth which will impact the alternate world we are frustrated with.

Well. That is a slightly ignorant and totally egotistical view <as well as it will get you nowhere>. Whether we like it or not an alternate world is a real world in and of itself. It may not actually be a reflection of real truth or overall reality per se but that alternative world captures the reality of that ‘follower world.’

That world takes on the same characteristics of any traditional civilization and culture. Ethics, values, norms, dreams, despairs and hopes.

Some idiots call it a ‘tribe.’ I call it idiotic because it sells the world in which this social following lives short. Tribe is too small. The social world, and the online communities which is created in these different followings, are like small civilizations which may, or may not, interconnect with other cultural views & values, religious views & values and societal views & values.

Others may attempt to call this ‘countries’ … heck … Facebook is the largest country in the world. And, in some cases, this may actually be the correct metaphor … but in more cases it is not. Countries coexist. Worlds are, well, worlds apart. And entering into one of the larger follower social world groupings is absolutely like a world apart. Within the following are individuals who have come together based on a world view in which they do not see anywhere than in this virtual population <which are real people in a made up world>.

What I can promise you is that what each alternate world DOES coalesce around is like minded individual self-interest – views & values & aspirations. It is easy to see how his could happen.

It is incredibly easy to feel powerless in the real world but in this new world all you feel is … well … power. Power to feel what you believe and do <at least virtually at the moment> what you want to do.

It is incredibly easy to feel one person can do so little and now, all of a sudden, the individual finds themselves in a world together with individuals who think the way they do, say the words they say and want to do the same things they do. The world exists only in a virtual sense <and they now that> and, yet, they can envision this world being created as a tangible reality.

It is incredibly easy to block out all the noise <even things that may represent Truth> trying to infringe upon the beautiful sounds echoing in this virtual world.

Look at whatever news or information sharing research you want, but the majority of people seek one main source for their information. If that is true <which it is> than once you have decided to become part of a social follower world that becomes your main feed of information, truth and reality. Once you have decided to become part of this following it becomes your world and then it becomes obvious <at least to me> you now have a world mainly of likeminded people cocooning thoughts, norms, cultural beliefs, civilization characteristics … and desires, despairs and hopes.

Anyway. While I like to wax philosophically I am a business guy … and I like to offer solutions.

sigh.

I do not have a solution on how to penetrate these alternative worlds <assuming you want to>. But I imagine if I were to do so I wouldn’t barrage them with facts or pontificate about my world view <because it is counter to their world view so why would I care> but rather I would assess their world, and their world view, and figure out a way to appeal to some aspect.

And I would definitely better understand the core of this alternate world view — the self-interest. Because in the end, while this is a sweeping generalization, the main way to connect with someone quickly is to do something or say something that appeals to “me.” Me as in self interest, self esteem, self view and self actualization.

That may sound like a selfish world view but it really isn’t. It isn’t as cold & harsh as “what’s in it for me?” as the foundation for all attitudes & behaviors but rather it is a nuanced world view of individual survival within a larger world view. Think about it. If I see other worlds around me crumbling or spinning out of control in its orbit I see those worlds as a threat to my interests and ultimately my survival. Therefore I am going to want to be part of a world in which an orbit is established, a global climate of prosperity & fairness <however that world may establish it> & my world view survival is insured.

I say that because “what’s in it for me?” sounds too small for what I view in this alternate world this group of individuals are seeking as we try and view their individual self-interest motivations. To penetrate this word in any meaningful way we need to appeal to some sense of self … and offer a new world view in which the individual decides to find a different world to live in.

By the way. Parts of what I am sharing today pain me. It pains me because a significant thread of what I am suggesting is grounded upon two thoughts that go against everything I believe in

<1> a large group of people do not desire to be fully enlightened <or are okay knowing what they know and want to invest energy doing other things>, and

<2> I am recognizing that the individual has more power to create ‘worlds’ than societal needs.

Neither of these are incredibly bad in a larger view it is simply an acceptance I have acquiesced to the greater need – that there are worlds apart from the real world which need to be brought back into the real world.

That said. Instead of calling people stupid or suggesting they are ‘unenlightened’ in some way or ‘they just don’t understand what I am trying to sell them is good for them’ … maybe it would be more productive to begin our own thought process by recognizing these are worlds in which they are happy, seemingly productive and hopeful. In their world they are not missing things … they have things.

These are worlds of their own making and maybe we should think that people do not build worlds based off of fear or anger or despair, they build based on hope & dreams & beliefs. Think about that last thought before you start spouting off about “tapping into anger” or “driven by disappointment.” Things are not built from anger and disappointment, things are built by hands seeking a house for the future.

“Heroism is an obedience to a secret impulse of an individual’s character.

Now to no other man can its wisdom appear as it does to him, for every man must be supposed to see a little farther on his own proper path than anyone else.”

–

Ralph Waldo Emerson

<ESSAY VIII Heroism>

===

So.

This is about my thoughts on heroes but let me start by saying I tend to believe little things can make a big difference. And in a never ending struggle with everyday common Life you should seek the small victories because in the end … a big Life is made up of some pretty important small victories.

That said. Some things are bigger than others. And some big things cannot be done by accumulating a bunch of little things … even if they are really good little things.

And some big things should never be diminished. Like heroism & heroes.

Yup. On a day in the United States where we recognize the memories of heroes, the veterans of the military, I want to talk about heroes.

Now. Before I say what I want to say … I know we need heroes. Not just for practical reasons <we need to remember that they actually did something heroic that made a difference> but from a character compass standpoint.

They become a North Star for attitude, actions and character.

Universally we all have a desire to hear the stories and to identify with people with strong character and learn through the circumstances and choices that make them heroic to us.

And. I believe it is a Life truth that there can be no great heroes without great followers which means we, the ordinary people, are the great followers always seeking the great heroes.

And that is what I want to discuss.

Great heroes and, uhm, how I struggle with the ‘local media spotlighted’ heroes. I struggle because I believe that in order to deserve a real hero we the people, the common everyday people who fight the good fight day in and day out, must be able to rise above a sense of self and the belief that we are ‘heroic’ in our everyday lives and stop thinking the overall belief that heroism resides in the capacity of the majority.

For true heroism is not in the purview of the common person. True heroism is not for you & I <okay, maybe some of us, but not me>.

Whoa ! <you say> Let me explain my thinking.

We have a desperate <and not a bad objective with poor intentions> desire for heroes and heroism. And in doing so we have a tendency to celebrate the glimpses of heroism found in the ordinary person in possibly an extraordinary moment. Maybe by doing so we diminish heroism. To me, despite how we want to treat these following things as exceptional or examples for people to follow, things like duty, honor, courage & integrity are every day obligations for everyday people.

Not exceptional, but expected.

People should be going about doing what they do with a sense of duty simply doing what we expect people should do. I believe Hero should be an esteemed status. Commending only those who ‘serve beyond the call of duty’ without expectation of reward’.

Elite.

Just as there is only one North Star, the great heroes remain the brightest of the bright stars. When we create heroes from those who simply portray courage or a strong sense of duty <or doing what is right> it seems to lessen rather than increase the image and reality of true heroism.

Great heroes are few in number.

Great heroes are not doing little things that matter.

I fully understand this is a contrary point of view.

We like everyday heroes. Or maybe we just like the idea of them & the fact an ordinary person can be one.

News always raises up the unheralded local person, the unknown personality, the common person doing something seemingly heroic in everyday Life and shares ‘the story.’

We like it. To be sure, these people certainly deserve to be commended. Commended as heroes? Well. You could argue that to claim most people are heroes, and do heroic things, suggests that there really are not any heroes.

Heroes are not common. Heroic acts cannot be common.

Ok.

Here is the good news <for me> so that before everyone starts shoving random objects up my wazoo … Ralph Waldo Emerson agrees with me <or I guess I agreed with him?>.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The characteristic of heroism is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits, and starts of generosity. But when you have chosen your part, abide by it, and do not weakly try to reconcile yourself with the world. The heroic cannot be the common, nor the common the heroic.”

Ralph <or Waldo to his closest drinking buddies> wrote an essay on Heroism. A brilliant piece <albeit he uses a boatload of words I do not understand and strings them together in some very odd sentences> where he solidly puts forth a belief that heroes are special and few.

Let me share some of his thoughts <I have bolded the really special parts>:

———

Our culture, therefore, must not omit the arming of the man. Let him hear in season, that he is born into the state of war, and that the commonwealth and his own well-being require that he should not go dancing in the weeds of peace, but warned, self-collected, and neither defying nor dreading the thunder, let him take both reputation and life in his hand, and, with perfect urbanity, dare the gibbet and the mob by the absolute truth of his speech, and the rectitude of his behaviour.Towards all this external evil, the man within the breast assumes a warlike attitude, and affirms his ability to cope single-handed with the infinite army of enemies. To this military attitude of the soul we give the name of Heroism.

Heroism feels and never reasons, and therefore is always right; and although a different breeding, different religion, and greater intellectual activity would have modified or even reversed the particular action, yet for the hero that thing he does is the highest deed, and is not open to the censure of philosophers or divines. It is the avowal of the unschooled man, that he finds a quality in him that is negligent of expense, of health, of life, of danger, of hatred, of reproach, and knows that his will is higher and more excellent than all actual and all possible antagonists. It is the state of the soul at war, and its ultimate objects are the last defiance of falsehood and wrong, and the power to bear all that can be inflicted by evil agents. It speaks the truth, and it is just, generous, hospitable, temperate, scornful of petty calculations, and scornful of being scorned. It persists; it is of an undaunted boldness, and of a fortitude not to be wearied out. Its jest is the littleness of common life. That false prudence which dotes on health and wealth is the butt and merriment of heroism.

Heroism, like Plotinus, is almost ashamed of its body.

… which common duty can very well attain, to suffer and to dare with solemnity. But these rare souls set opinion, success, and life, at so cheap a rate, that they will not soothe their enemies by petitions, or the show of sorrow, but wear their own habitual greatness.

—-

Heroes are immortal in their heroism.

Heroes have no death.

And they are bigger than us normal everyday folk.

Their purity has never been ‘shrunk to the common size of man.’ We should put heroism on a pedestal just as we should exalt the true heroes.

Emerson reminds us heroism cannot be common … because it is the one thing that is deemed worthy of immortality “… made death impossible, and affirms itself no mortal, but a native of the deeps of absolute and inextinguishable being.”

Ralph was a smart guy and said some really smart things.

We cheapen heroism a little bit by bestowing that honor on too many for too little. And by ‘too little’ I am suggesting we have set the bar too low. We should expect honor, duty, integrity and, yes, courage of convictions and courage to do what is right from everyone.

Those things are the standard for citizenship.

Heroes carry that standard to the forefront and beyond. They are the ones who speak the truth when truth is most difficult to speak, have the fortitude to not be wearied out by littleness of common life and are the rare souls who but wear their own habitual greatness.

“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.”

=

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

————

Well.

I probably get in this business discussion at least once a week — the “today is a visual world and people identify from imagery more than with words’discussion.

I get grumpy with this discussion.

I think this discussion is, well, a bullshit discussion. Yes. I have seen all the nifty info-graphics showcasing how quickly brains assimilate visuals. Yes. I have seen the cultural pieces stating young people’s attention spans gravitate toward visuals. I even get Napoleon’s “a picture is worth a thousand words” at me every time I suggest dismissing words as ‘lesser than’ communication tools to visuals is, well, stupid.

Let me state. Unequivocally state. It is a not a ‘visually wired world.’ Shit. It isn’t a ‘word wired world.’ People emotionally connect in a variety of ways and generalizing into ‘visual world’ or ‘you have to communicate with images in today’s world’ is just stupid. I typically make my stand on two thoughts:

Connection.

I have said this a zillion times and will continue to do so … it is a connection world. It was, is and will be. People will connect with words or images as long as the words or images capture something worth connecting with.

A bad visual is not better than good words.

Bad words is not better than a good visual.

We shouldn’t focus on visuals or words we should focus on connecting.

Literal thinking is bad.

Huh? What the hell do I mean?

Well.

As soon as some smartass suggested that creating an image in people’s minds is a powerful connection a shitload of people concluded ‘let’s show a vivid visual which they can place in their mind.’ <literal interpretation>

Or.

“People like identifying through images.” <literal interpretation>

Sigh. And the business world was literally off & running. Then the next thing you know some futurist bullshit is being published saying ‘this generation is stimulated more by visuals than anything else.’ <bad literal interpretation conclusion>

Then.The next thing you know, some bullshit research selectively using, and phrasing the information, gets ‘published’ to show that the mind processes imagery well <note: but not necessarily better than words> and is being put in neat presentation diagrams.

What bullshit.

Everyone took the thought literally and it is meant to be embraced figuratively. Even more importantly? All this information is meant to be embraced contextually.

Let me point out that books are fabulous vehicles for creating vivid images in people’s minds.

Uhm. Yeah. They are <oops> words.

Look.

There is no formula. And there are not people more self directed toward images versus others more directed to words.

A visual person can find connection thru an amazing grouping of words.

<I would also like to note research shows that the combination of the two, when used well, is a powerful tool>

Anyway.

“It is a visual world.”

What bullshit. It’s the kind of bullshit if enough people buy into it boxes in, or boxes out, a shitload of great thinking to believe this crap.

Let me be clear.

I love a defining visual. A vivid visual demonstration which people can quickly capture an emotional connection <with the intent of actually telling them something of meaning which gets someone to actually ‘do something’ with regard to your business> is a powerful tool. I have a whole portfolio of great presentations using defining visuals. Maybe surprising too many of the people sucked into this “visual world myth”, I also have a nice portfolio of presentations, advertisements, books & poems used in successful ways.

Eliminating words as a useful, and a powerful, communication vehicle is, well, frankly, stupid. Words, used well, are powerful tools. As powerful as any image.

In the business world, words used wisely can make the difference between making some money and making a lot of money.

I even have an example. I use this example all the time.

I would imagine some of you may have seen the original version of this <an Italian ad agency did it I believe> but it remains a timeless & powerful reminder that its often how you say something rather than what you say that creates the emotion needed to generate behavior:

What a wonderful illustration of the power of words … and how words can dramatically effect behavior — well used words making people relate and emote and act. Words create perspective and perspective can be everything. Words are powerful. Evoke emotions, make people reflect and take action.

Never disregard the potential of using words instead of images.

But. Choose your words wisely.

In the end, the most powerful communication is a combination of a great visuals and words used well. Beyond that? Use a visual. Use words. Use whatever communicates what you want to communicate the best way that connects with the people you want to connect with.

“I take up my old pen again – the pen of all my old unforgettable efforts and sacred struggles. To myself – today – I need say no more.

Large and full and high the future still opens. It is now indeed that I may do the work of my life.

I like these words.

For anyone approaching middle age, or wading through it, they may be the most useful words anyone has written, words that if we repeat often enough we may even start to act upon.

Words that could change our lives, or the long sweet stretch of it that is left.”

==

Henry James

<wrote in his early 50s>

—————————————

“We know that greatness doesn’t come from building walls, it comes from building opportunity.”

=

Obama

<note: the original quote has “America’s” before greatness>

————————-

Well.

Yesterday I wrote about ‘no chance means no chance.’ Looking back upon it while I don’t regret the truth, or pragmatism of it, I began recognizing I kept going back to it again and again … my fingers hovering over the pragmatic side of it and the ‘delete’ key and having my thoughts hover over the hope portion with itchy fingers, and itchy mind, to write more and talk about how glimpses of ‘having a chance’ are the things that often not only get us thru the day but get us thru life.

That is the power of words. A word has the power to change the way you think about things but maybe more importantly a word … yes … a single word … has the power to change your life <because what you think often begets what you do>.

A word can surely be a wall … but more often than not … a word is a building block for opportunity. Such a small thing is large and full and … well … high the future still opens.

And while that sounds big & sweeping and maybe easily dismissed as words of a dreamer and things that are nice to think about but will never happen … I would like to point out that for almost 20 years now the internet has brought more new & different words into our lives. These words are opportunities. These little things are big and full of the future.

Because of this seeming barrage of words our lives, our culture; our minds have been forever changed. There is no going back and there is no ‘giving back.’ Words when encountered remain your companion to be hugged, bewildered by, spurned, loved and shadows you wherever you go from that moment on.

Even on the days when we shut ourselves away from people and the bustle and grind of Life there will not be a single day in which you will not interact with words.

They are your constant companion <friend or foe>.

Whole companies are now dedicated to words.

Any search engine or browser company.

Any social media company.

Shit.

Whole industries these days have been developed solely on the use and management of words.

Your words beget their words. They organize words which inevitably force you & I to consider, an reconsider, words.

This means, at the core of our lives, is one simple thing … a word.

One word at a time our life is built.

One word at a time … opportunity … a dream … a hope … is built.

This means that a word, or combination of words, is the key to everyday life. The way we interpret a word can not only change the present but impact the future. One word can … well … actually change our behavior <Amazon is the most practical tactical example of this>.

Technology has actually given a word ‘super powers’ <and they were pretty frickin’ powerful before>. a word is no longer something we simply observed & absorbed … it now has acquired a more active role in life … it creates and impacts how we interact.

Simplistically. A word is a fundamental catalyst of Life.

Anyway.

It is impossible to imagine the world without words.

A word enables us to do things that maybe seem unthinkable.

A word encourages us to think … well … we have a chance.

And, maybe most of all, while I think of a word as the small key to greatness and opportunity I continue to think of the one syllable 4 letter word that is possibly the most powerful word in any language – hope.

Whenever I wonder why I sit in front of my computer and write I remember that words not only are the only constant companion we encounter every day but they are involved in almost every aspect of our lives. In some small way maybe I think of James’ words … “today – I need say no more. Large and full and high the future still opens. It is now indeed that I may do the work of my life.”

Weigh your words carefully today my friends … and take a moment and ponder the words you encounter … for most do not build walls but offer opportunities.